Lewd Remarks, Sexist Jokes, Women Personnel In Police Force Don’t Feel Safe Themselves

Lewd Remarks, Sexist Jokes, Women Personnel In Police Force Don’t Feel Safe Themselves

The unfortunate death of Sushant Singh Rajput last year gave us a peek into the dark side of the industry, that even though looks all shiny and bright from the outside had skeletons of its own tumbling out. Getting a hint as to how depressing, lonely and even painfully ignorang the film industry can sometimes be, we realised that all is not as well as it looks from outside. As is the case with police and law enforcement, which may look like a great department to work for, but has its own problems, especially for women police officers.

Especially in case of women police officers in Uttar Pradesh, for over the past couple of months the number of female suicides in the police department have relatively increased and come up as a cause of concern. Turns out, women police officers have been experiencing their own struggles in the department, succumbing to which a few have taken their own lives.

This attention to the situation was drawn majorly after two policewomen died by suicide in two districts of Uttar Pradesh recently, after which there were several questions that were put up to the department, demanding an explanation for the same.

Also Read : Two Political Parties Are Throwing Sexist Comments Around On This Picture Of A Woman Officer In A Liquor Store. Why?

India Today conducted a survey among the female personnel working in the police departments, and found out that women have been going through a lot of stress while facing the brunt of working in a male dominant field. A woman constable posted at a local police station in Agra gave her two cents on the matter and said that she may have donned the police uniform, but at every step, she was made to realise that she is a woman.

A statement that several other women officers agreed with. And what she said next made an even bigger statement on the dynamic of a woman working midst men. She shared how even though female officers are appointed in stations to offer safety and security to women, but “when even the policewomen are not feeling comfortable, how can they make the women feel safe in the station?”

Meanwhile another officer shared how there have been many times when their male counterparts have tried to demean them and their caliber by suggesting how they would better be suited for the job of a teacher and not an officer. Not to forget the occasional passing of lewd and derogatory remarks, which makes even a police station an unsafe place to work at.

Talking about the environment for women is less than appeasing, a woman sub-inspector told India Today that, “New recruits face the most difficulties. Male personnel hover around them, trying to impress them somehow, obtain their phone numbers and then send unsolicited pictures of themselves over the phone.” In fact, women officers have also brought to light how despite several complaints and requests, even the washroom for women is not provided separately.

It’s a shame that women police officers have to still walk on eggshells in their own office, and their condition in the workforce is troublesome even if it is getting better by the day. And that women aren’t safe anywhere, is a pressing matter that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Also Read : In Ratlam, A MLA Threatened A Woman Officer Because She Made Them Wait. Egotistical Much?

Sadhika Sehgal

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